By Staff Reports
Champion Hills, home of Hall of Fame architect Tom Fazio’s seminal “Mountain Masterpiece,” is offering a variety of membership offerings to meet the seismic demographic and geographic shifts in golf and overall living the past two years.
The exponential increase in remote work and the resulting freedom to move from densely populated urban areas in cold climates to Sun Belt states has led to a surge in relocations to the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. That, coupled with the increase in new members joining private clubs for the first time, has led to record membership sales at Champion Hills in Hendersonville.
As a year-round golf community and club, Champion Hills’ members enjoy golf, tennis, hiking and other outdoor activities during all four seasons. Its enviable location in Henderson County is just 45 minutes south of the craft beer capital and cultural center of Asheville, and an hour north of Greenville, S.C.
Downtown Hendersonville, a charming main street town with shops and restaurants, is only a few minutes away.
“The majority of our members live here full-time, which has changed the way they engage and utilize the club,” said Champion Hills general manager Dana Schultz. “Our memberships are designed to meet the needs of a wide range of lifestyles and our location in the majestic mountains, pristine lakes and vibrant towns of Western North Carolina makes Champion Hills a top choice for those looking for a mild four-season climate with a comparatively low cost of living.”
Champion Hills’ new Equity 55 is a full golf membership designed for those age 55 and under in search of a club to call home. The $40,000 initiation fee is divided into four equal payments over four years, dues and replacement reserve fund contributions are reduced by 50 percent and the club’s $800 annual food and beverage minimum is prorated for new members.
Champion Hills’ newly enhanced National Membership is geared for those who don’t own property in Henderson County but want to enjoy all the privileges, social activities and friendly competition that come with belonging to a premier private golf club. The initiation fee is $7,500 and monthly dues are $275 with 30 rounds of golf included before incurring a guest fee.
The Annual Explorer is a 12-month trial membership showcasing the complete Champion Hills experience. The initiation fee is $3,500, which can be applied to any membership at the end of the year, and monthly dues are $1,212. It’s ideal for those who want to immerse themselves in club life before selecting their long-term membership plan.
Champion Hills’ flagship offering is the Full Equity Golf Membership, which in addition to full access to all club activities and amenities includes both vertical family and Troon Privé benefits. One of the most valuable benefits a club can offer, vertical family membership enables a members’ parents, children and grandchildren, to experience all aspects of the club, unaccompanied, regardless of age.
And Champion Hills has some additional bragging rights.
Last month, the private club vaulted 28 spots from 44 to 16 on Club + Resort Business ranking of the “Top Fitness and Wellness Facilities” in the United States.
A leading trade publication, “C + RB” covers the operations and management staff at country clubs, city clubs, yacht clubs and resorts that operate club-like facilities. Its “Top Ranked” initiative for fitness and wellness highlights properties with the “Top 50 Fitness and Wellness” facilities and programs, as judged independently by a panel of general managers from several top clubs
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“As a lifestyle-focused club, the health and wellness of our members is mission-critical and they continue to invest in enhancements to our facilities and programming,” said Champion Hills director of wellness Mackenzie Jones. “We’re honored by this recognition from a well-respected publication like Club + Resort Business that knows our industry inside and out.”
And in late March, Champion Hills made the biggest jump in recent history in the North Carolina Golf Panel rankings, going from unranked to the 39th best golf course in the state.
“Our members say you ‘don’t need to read the greens, you need to memorize them,”’ Schultz said. “Our golf course challenges them, they don’t get bored, and it is always something different out there. It keeps them focused on every one of our golf holes.”
“People coming here are golf fanatics, golf people,” added Fazio. “They are looking to come to this fabulous town in western North Carolina with a great reputation for a place to be, great place to retire to live and enjoy all the environments that are here. And the town is growing just enough to produce a great way of life.”
